October in Photos

October was a great month. There is a lot of development going on here and the motivation from the community seems geared toward bouldering for once.

On the 21st I sent what I thought would be my season long project Abaddon V12, which I have no problem spraying about because it meant a lot to me. Reaching the top of that boulder was a physical and mental breakthrough for me. I will always be able to look back to the process and the send as a source of courage.

Yes, there will be video out soon. Here are some photos:

Moving to the crux hold of Abaddon V12.

Failure as meditation.

Setting up for the scariest move I've ever done.

I've been posting a lot of media on my Facebook page lately so if you're a fan of this blog, or a fan of climbing photos/videos in general check it out and hit like here. It helps a lot!

On the 29th Lib sent Scare Tactics V10, one of her season goals as well.

Liberty Herring on Scare Tactics V10.

More failure, more meditation.

This past week I participated in the annual Halloween comp at the local gym. It turned out to be a good set and almost 100 new boulders to train on. I won for advanced men and Lib held her title as female champ. Above all I love competing because it is always a great training day. 

Onward to new projects!

Getting Wrecked

This workout really did it. Usually when I go to the gym I try pretty hard, but not hard enough to fail at my entire workout. Like all climbers I like to feel successful and send things. That is the natural urge that I have been fighting to suppress in the gym. In general I do a decent job of this, but I wanted to take my training to the next level for these last couple weeks. In a recent conversation with my buddy Dave he reminded me of this aspect, something he had read in a book by Dave MacLeod. I'll have to read that one sometime.

Failure never felt so good. I mean painful and monotonous. But worth it. Or something.

This is just a basic workout with 3 sections: warm up, climbing portion, training portion. For my climbing portion I wanted to do a set of 4x4's that was at/above my limit. I chose problems that I could confidently reach the 3/4 mark but would be very difficult to send 4 times in a row. My results were an awesome amount of failure. I fell a lot at the 1/2 way or 3/4 mark on the harder problems and fell last move on the two easier ones a couple times. I ended up sending 25% of my efforts with one send consisting of a variation I improvised on the V12 at the top just to keep going (read: I cheated and made it V10/11).

Following the 4x4s I did an hour of hang boarding using the CWP plan followed by campusing and some core. It felt great to be pushing myself that hard and trying things out of my league. 3 weeks until I leave for Africa!

-BLOCHEAD

Training Tools

The following is a list of the tools I use most frequently when training for bouldering. I have refined this collection over a couple years and they all have proven useful and effective. In other words they are all worth buying and having if you are a gym rat like me.

I won't be going into too much detail about how to use most these things because they all seem pretty self explanatory, but if you have questions as always feel free to ask in the comment section. I'll be focusing more on why they work for me and help me become stronger.

1. Wristwatch with stopwatch/interval feature - I've had the same one for years and haven't even changed the battery on it yet. This is probably my #1 suggestion for people who want to take their training to another level. Timing rests and activity gives me a bearing on progression from week to week.

2. Notebook - Even if you are not on a regiment, buy one of these and start writing down your entire workout. This serves two invaluable functions for your climbing. First it provides a tangible reference for your progression over time. This takes out the anecdotal "I'm having a bad day/week/whatever" and replaces it with something you can check. You may feel like crap but looking back on a month ago you may actually be crushing your previous time/rep/etc. Second, a notebook keeps you on track. If you are writing down everything in your session or goals you have during your time at the gym the notebook will help you make better use of that time.

And you can put stickers of your favorite stuff on it!

3. Weights - Pretty standard. If you have a decent climbing facility they might have weights available for you. I'm not as lucky here so I bought my own. At the most I recommend the following plated weights: 2 10lb and 1 25lb. This gives you a good amount of options between 10-45lbs and they should be enough.

Great all around tool. Hypergravity hangs, sit ups, general badassery.

4. Harness and Sling w/ Biner - I only use my harness for weighted hangs (AND SPORT CLIMBING JK LOL) and the sling I use for a one handed hang assist while hangboard training and also for fastening the plates to my harness.

Seriously guys, what's a "one-hang"?

5. The Ivanko Super Gripper - Yes, this spring-loaded torture device is absolutely Russian. And yes, you will love it. Primarily used by a niche sect of bodybuilders obsessed with grip strength, this thing has adjustable tension springs ranging from "not so bad" to "are you f*cking kidding me?!"

6. The Ab Wheel - If you decided to buy one thing off this list it should be this. It's like $10 and you will not regret it.

These were actually cut from scenes in Zero Dark Thirty for being too cruel and unusual.

7. Ankle Weights - I use these all the time. At least twice a week for various things. Front levers, leg lifts, even practicing holding swings on steep terrain. Great for a little resistance.

8. 10lb Weight Vest -The only reason I specified 10lbs is because I used to have a 20lb and I did not find that it helped much. I use this sparingly, but it is great for a 4x4 once in a while when you want to feel like a superhero.

Worst superhero outfit ever.

 9. Ice Packs - These next couple items I use after almost every climb session. Not essential for training, but critical for recover and injury prevention. Ice packs are a must.

10. Finger Massagers - They're cheap and it feels great on the fingers. Keep one in your skin kit, one in your car for the approach, or wherever else. Really nice to have around.

11. Theracane - Dirtbag massage therapy at its finest. I prefer investing in quarterly massage work but between sessions or on a road trip this thing is great for working knots and sore muscles.

Plus when you type finger massagers into google you're in for a certified awkward moment.

I hope this helps with your training!

-BLOCHEAD

A Month of Training

In my experience the two most important elements to successful gym training are 1) having something to look forward to and 2) setting goals. Since my last workout/training post I set a goal for myself of climbing every boulder problem in the gym. This is a tough goal that satisfies both criteria. Every time I went to the gym I would look forward to trying a new problem, and with every send I came closer to my overall goal.

It has been exactly one month since my last workout post and yesterday I finished my goal of climbing every problem in the gym. I don't know exactly how many problems there are but it was around 130 ranging from V0-V12. Achieving this goal is both motivating and distressing. I am now in territory where I will be making up all of my projects using existing holds
which can be a double edged sword.

I'll have new workouts and goals in the month to come, but for now here are a few photos of what I've been up to lately. As usual if you have any questions, comments, or ideas please comment below.

Last Month in Workouts.

In the top right: A workout centered entirely around moves that I cannot do, or barely do.

My personal best points day in the top right. 175 pts. in 1 hour. V8 and above up to 100.

Homemade campus board + fingerboard outline.

Sent the V12 on the ramp! Finished the session by climbing every other boulder on the ramp V10-V1 = 98 points.

Finally here is a variation to my previously posted workout submitted by BLOCHEAD reader and Vegas local Mike Kirschbaum. Mike has been climbing for just under a year now and came up with a routine that was doable, but challenging for him. Thanks for the submission Mike!

Power Endurance variation workout submitted by Mike Kirschbaum.

If you have a workout that you would like to submit leave a comment below and I will get in touch with you for a chance to be featured on the blog!

-BLOCHEAD

Power + Power Endurance Workout

It's not getting any colder here in Vegas. With less than 90 days to go before leaving for South Africa you will most likely find me in the gym doing crazy shit like this:

This workout took 4 1/2 hours so make sure you have some time if you want to give it a try. Everything on the paper is pretty self explanatory, just make sure not to rest during the workout periods. The rest should be chalking up in most cases. Some notes:

2 mins rest between 4x4 sets seemed fine. Less rest for 3x3 and 2x2 etc.
5 mins rest between each cycle of Campus/Push/Core is enough as well.
Keep track of your hourly point total so you can beat it next time.
At MOST rest up to 2 mins between problems during the "power hour" avoid long water breaks or talking with people. Bouldering isn't supposed to be fun and you know that! :)

Leave any other question or effective workouts you like to do in the comments below.

Stay motivated and hold on for one more move,

-BLOCHEAD

This Workout Will Destroy You

In a good way! However, if it destroys you in a bad way or you get hurt in the process I assume no responsibility. Train smart and tailor this sample workout to your ability.

Target Areas: Finger strength/core/power endurance/cardiovascular fitness

Duration: 3.5-4.5 hours

What you'll need:
Pen and paper
Stopwatch (preferable wristwatch with timer built in)
Access to a campus board
Access to a hang board
A flat non-padded surface for core work (a yoga mat on hardwood works well)

The Workout:
Here's a sample breakdown from my workout yesterday. Individual stations/exercises will be explained in further detail below.

1. 30 min warm up
     -5 min rest
2. 100 points in 1 hour or less, V7 and harder (My time: 37:40)
     -5 min rest
3. 100 points in 1 hour or less, V7 and under (My time: 44:15)
     -5 min rest
4. Campus board, 15 minutes. 3 sets of 5 min with 1 min rest between.
     -2.5min rest
5. 10 min abs
     -2.5min rest
6. 25x4 rapid fire
     -2.5min rest
7. 10 min abs
     -2.5min rest
8. 25x4 rapid fire
     -2.5min rest
9. 10 min abs
10. 5 min stretching

As you can see there is very little resting, keeping a constantly elevated heart rate and muscle fatigue throughout the routine which helps train both power and power endurance.

Exercises Explained:

1. 30 min warm up - Try to stay on the wall for the entire 30 minutes. at around the 15 minute mark use gradually smaller holds until switching back to jugs for the last five minutes to avoid a flash pump.

2. 100 points in 1 hour or less, V7 and harder - This grade guideline can obviously change. As a rule of thumb set your bar 2-4 grades below the hardest climb you can finish in the gym. Keep track of your time as well. Did you finish early or not at all? This will help you maximize your output. For instance I finished the first hundred in under 40 minutes, so next time I will probably up my bar to V8.

3. 100 points in 1 hour or less, V7 and under - try to challenge yourself here. Only dip down to V1s and 2s if you are really struggling.

4. Campus board, 15 minutes. 3 sets of 5 min with 1 min rest between - This is all power training. No doubt you'll be fatigued at this point, but stick with it and remember to keep your muscles confused. Your goal is to recruit more fast twitch muscle fibers. In a typical 5 minute set I'll do everything from double campus, max bumps, one arm lock offs, and up-downs. Keep it fresh and remember to shake out and breath during your 1 minute rests.

5. 10 minute abs - This one is a little hard to explain and I may end up making a video in the future because this is without a doubt the best core workout I've developed. Especially if used in conjunction with front levers. It breaks down to 10 different types of sit ups that you execute consecutively for 50 seconds with 10 seconds of rest before you start the next sit up. It may not seems like much but it adds up quickly.

You can choose whatever sit ups in any order, but here's what I use.
1. Regular crunches
2. Right side obliques
3. Left side obliques
4. Rows
5. Bicycles
6. Leg lifts
7. Diamonds
8. Right side Boxers (full sit up with a twist)
9. Left side Boxers
10. Double Jack knife (leg lift with a full sit up/fingertips reach for toes)

6. 25x4 Rapid fire - I like to call these the ''Hundreds from Hell.'' Your goal is to complete 25 front levers, 25 push ups, 25 pull ups and 25 seconds hanging on bad edges as fast as you possibly can. Unless your climbing V13/14 you will probably fall at some point. The important thing is to challenge yourself. Hang off the worst possible edges you can hold, front lever off crimps, try fingertips pushups. If you don't fail then you're not getting stronger.

9. Stretch - Budget this time into your workout! I cant stress enough how important this is to your muscles after something like this.

Post Work Out Care: Drink a mixture with at least 20-25 grams of protein WITHIN 30 MINUTES of completing this workout. After intense muscled fatigue your body reacts by prioritizing the absorption of nutrients into your muscle tissue. This window lasts between 30-40 minutes so take advantage of it. Subsequently you should plan a full meal no later than 90 minutes after your workout. Drink plenty of water and prepare to be sore the next morning.

DO NOT engage in this workout more than once a week.

I hope this workout helps get you motivated this summer. As always I check my comments regularly so if you have a workout that you'd like to share or a question about anything above please don't hesitate to get in touch with me

-BLOCEAD